Hi Jo

Good to have met you yesterday. I thoroughly enjoyed the day and the evidence of my craftmanship is shown here in sepia glory.

Thanks for your expertise, patience and guidance throughout the day. All of my senses were in flashback to when I started work in the late 60s.

I would genuinely recommend the experience to anybody as your teaching style and patience would not preclude anyone from having a rewarding and stimulating day.

Last night our newly manufactured candlestick illuminated the front room.. and as I sat in a flickering light of pride, I thought. “Yep… I made that!”

Great news also… Having refitted it, the repair to the cast iron leg appears to be holding up. Exposure to weight will be gradual… starting with any passing salesman or Inland revenue inspectors who stray to my door!

The toasting fork is yet to be used, but is in prime position for the first open fire of Winter.

Thanks again Jo… As I wrote on Facebook last night. “Burned, Blistered and Blown Away!!”

Very Best Regards

Vaughan

Treat your Dad to a taste of being a Blacksmith!

I’m running some half-day blacksmith experience days this June in honour of Father’s Day!

3 1/2 hours tuition on the forge – make something to take home!

9.30 – 1pm on Sat 15th and Sat 29th June 2013.

Cost:  £90 per person.
Book both places together for £80 per person!

Only four places available as I only take two people on each course.  Each participant will have their own forge and anvil to work on and will receive lots of one-to-one tuition!

To book, send an email to jo@jotheiron.co.uk and I will reserve your place(s) and send full joining instructions!

See you there!

Jo

Hi Jo,

Just a quick email to say thank you very much for welcoming us to the forge on Friday, we had a brilliant day.
I thought the course was pitched just right and would not hesitate to recommend it to anyone. As I mentioned on the day, I had done a few other similar courses in different crafts and I can honestly say i enjoyed yours the most. I thought you did a brilliant job of explaining things clearly, and balanced helpful comments/pointers, with giving me space to have a go at it really well. As someone who had little idea of what it is to work with metal, the course was appealing, and I feel it totally delivered. It gave a great insight into working in the forge and I felt that your openness and nature really helped in making the processes and techniques accessible to a layman.

Thanks once again for a memorable day and the best of luck with the continuation of courses going forward.

Kind regards,

R

Making a toasting fork!

Welcomed our latest budding blacksmiths to the forge last Friday.

As before we kicked started proceedings with a toasting fork, and feedback was that whatever I showed them, it took them 10 times longer to do!  Hey practice makes perfect and it’s only taken just over 30 years to get that quick 🙂

Here's something I made earlier....

This took up the morning session and after lunch, we moved onto their chosen items – hanging basket bracket and coat hooks!

I’ve popped a short video on the facebook page of some of the action!

Obviously my main aim with the days are that people really enjoy the experience and get a real taste of working at the forge, as well as something they have made to take home.  Here’s feedback from one of the attendees:

“Have a very different day out and get to make a couple of pieces you would not expect to be able to do! All under the excellent tutelage of Jo Fry the resident Blacksmith. It is an intensive day and at the end you will know you have worked hard! He will explain every detail you need to produce your item and it will be broken down into five or six distinct parts. He will be able to do any one bit in 2 minutes, you will take 20 minutes to do the same! You will be amazed at what he can get you to make and you will enjoy every second. I was given my day out as a Christmas present and I thoroughly recomend the experience. Many thnaks Jo for showing me your skill and giving me the chance to have a go.”

Well that certainly makes it all worth while – hope to see some of you at the forge very soon….

Jo